UTSA women will play top-seeded Connecticut in the NCAA tournament

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The UTSA Roadrunners shout out their approval after learning they will play the 12-time national champion Connecticut Huskies Saturday in Storrs, Conn. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team will play the top-overall seeded Connecticut Huskies on Saturday in Storrs, Conn., in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Coach Karen Aston captures the moment with a selfie after UTSA learns it has been matched in the NCAA first round with 34-0 Connecticut. – Photo by Joe Alexander

A crowd of supporters watching the televised bracket reveal Sunday night at UTSA Park West Fieldhouse erupted in cheers as the Roadrunners and the defending national champions came up as the first game announced on ESPN.

Connecticut enters the tournament at 34-0 and as the top seed in Regional 1 – Fort Worth, while UTSA will take an 18-15 record and a No. 16 seeding into one of the legendary venues in college basketball.

“This will be a fantastic experience for our players,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “When you play at Connecticut, you’re around really educated, fanatic fans, that I think every young person that plays college basketball should experience.”

A check of the records indicates that Harvard in 1998 is the only 16th-seeded team in NCAA women’s tournament history to beat a top seed. The Crimson did it in 1998 against Stanford.

Despite the long odds, UTSA standout Cheyenne Rowe said the Roadrunners just plan to have some fun with it.

“We’ll put everything out on the floor,” said Rowe, the most outstanding player at the American Conference tournament. “One team has to lose, so we’re just going to play as hard as we can.”

The Huskies are led by Coach Geno Auriemma on the bench and, on the floor, by all-Big East standouts Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. Strong is the Big East Player of the Year.

Riding a modest five-game winning streak, the postseason champions in the American Conference learn they are on their way to play the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament. – Photo by Joe Alexander

“We all know how good they are,” Aston said. “They’re the best team in the country, probably. For us, it’s, ‘How can we keep growing? What can we get out of this experience?

“How competitive can we be? How do we measure ourselves against the best?”

UTSA won four games in four days at the American Conference tournament in Birmingham, Ala., to clinch a spot in the 68-team field.

The Roadrunners, seeded sixth in the American, beat the conference’s regular-season champion and top-seeded Rice Owls on Saturday night to claim an NCAA automatic bid.

UTSA has won a five games in a row overall, starting the streak on March 7 on the last day of the regular season at Rice.

Even though the streak is modest compared to some others in the national tournament, it’s been a meteoric and somewhat shocking rise into the NCAA bracket for those who follow UTSA.

This was a team that on March 4 scored only one point in the second quarter at home against Tulsa.

After that game, a dispiriting 53-41 loss in the team’s home finale, UTSA had lost six of their last nine. The Roadrunners sank to two games below .500 on the season.

In the wake of that moment, the Roadrunners held a meeting to reinforce some team values.

The UTSA Roadrunners are on their way to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Coming out of the meeting, UTSA traveled to Rice, defeated the Owls on the last day of the regular season, and then journeyed to Alabama, where the team ripped off victories over Temple, South Florida, East Carolina and Rice again.

Asked what comes to mind first when she reflects on the winning streak, Aston said, succinctly, ownership.

“I think that (players) just made a decision that they wanted this season to end differently than what it looked like against Tulsa,” the coach said. “There were some things that they had to do different. A mindset had to change.

“Sometimes a coach can talk and talk and talk, but until they’re ready to change their own mindset and collectively as a group, there’s not a lot we can do about it. I don’t think we coached any different.”

Aston acknowledged that she did talk to the group after Tulsa about “playing a little more free.”

“Just kind of, let it go, let it fly,” she said. “We’ll deal with the shots that don’t go in.

“I think that was important for me to get across to them, because when we played Tulsa, it looked like we were afraid to shoot the ball. Afraid to make mistakes.”

Aston said that she in effect allowed players to take ownership of the situation, and that they took over from there.

As a result, they’re on the road to Connecticut this weekend to play in their first NCAA tournament game in 17 years. It will be carried live on ABC on Saturday at 2 p.m.

With the America Conference postseason championship trophy front and center, the UTSA Roadrunners gathered Sunday at Park West Fieldhouse for the NCAA bracket reveal. – Photo by Joe Alexander

ESPN projects UTSA as a No. 16 seed to the NCAA First Four

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Speculation is swirling that the UTSA women’s basketball team might be headed for the NCAA First Four.

The Roadrunners are projected by ESPN’s Charlie Creme to play the Howard Bison in a battle of No. 16 seeds, with the winner moving on to face the No. 1 regional seed Texas Longhorns in the Round of 64.

First Four games will be played either Wednesday or Thursday, with the winners advancing to face No. 1 regional seeds either Friday or Saturday.

The official NCAA women’s tournament bracket reveal is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.

The Longhorns, who have already been named as an NCAA first-weekend host, raced to a 31-3 record on the way to a Southeastern Conference postseason title.

Howard won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference postseason title with a 53-46 victory over Norfolk State (Va.), while UTSA won the championship in the American Conference by defeating Rice, 54-40.

Howard will bring a record of 26-7 into its first NCAA tournament since 2022. UTSA will be playing in the tournament for the first time since 2009.

UTSA entered the American Conference postseason tournament one game under .500, won four straight games in Birmingham and emerged with an 18-15 record for its first NCAA appearance under fifth-year coach Karen Aston.

In 18 years as a college head coach, Aston has taken three teams to a combined eight NCAA tournaments, including one at Charlotte, six at Texas and one at UTSA.

At Texas, Aston worked eight seasons as head coach and led the Longhorns to the Elite Eight once and the Sweet 16 three other times.

Texas did not renew her contract after the 2020 season. UTSA, coming off two wins in 2020-21, hired her for the following season.

Aston is 82-77 in five years at UTSA. She is 62-35 in her last three seasons, with trips to the WNIT in 2024, the WBIT in 2025 and NCAA this year.

Time to start an NCAA dance party as the UTSA women win the American postseason title

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The UTSA women celebrate Saturday night after claiming the American Conference postseason championship. – Photo courtesy of UTSA Athletics

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA women’s basketball team will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 17 years.

Sixth-seeded UTSA played suffocating defense and routed the No. 1 Rice Owls 54-40 Saturday night in Birmingham, Ala., to claim the American Conference postseason title.

With the championship came an automatic bid into the NCAA field of 68.

Riding a five-game winning streak, including four in four days in Alabama, UTSA (18-15) will find out its destination and opponent Sunday night.

In the wake of the loss, Rice (28-5) has been left in limbo, wondering if its full body of work this season will be good enough for an NCAA at-large bid.

UTSA guard Ereauna Hardaway delivered in the championship game with 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. In 30 minutes of playing time, she had zero turnovers. – Photo courtesy of UTSA athletics

Led by Cheyenne Rowe, Idara Udo and unflappable senior guard Ereauna Hardaway, the Roadrunners opened a seven-point lead after a grind-it-out first half, fended off a brief flurry from the Owls in the third period and then dominated the rest of the way.

“I’ve always thought this team could be a championship contender,” said Rowe, who was named most outstanding player in the tournament. “Never a doubt in my mind. But, to me, this moment is surreal. I never thought I specifically would be here.

“But my teammates always believed in me. My coaches believed in me. The athletic trainers, the academic advisors. Everyone believed in me. Without them, I don’t know if I would be where I am now.”

The Roadrunners’ performance in the American tournament is unmatched in the program’s 45 years.

In both 2008 and 2009, led by Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair and star guard Monica Gibbs, they won Southland postseason titles and advanced to play in the NCAA tournament both seasons.

Each time, the Roadrunners won three games in the SLC’s postseason event in Katy to hoist the trophy. This time, for the first time in program history, UTSA won a conference tournament by winning four games in four days.

In addition, it is also the second-straight season that the Roadrunners have claimed a championship in the American.

Last year, with Player of the Year Jordyn Jenkins setting the pace, the Roadrunners rolled to a 26-5 record and won the American’s regular season at 17-1.

But as last year’s squad entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed, it stumbled in its first game in the quarterfinals at Frisco and lost to the Owls.

This season, they entered the tournament under the radar, but not lacking in confidence.

Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA women's basketball lost to Tulsa 53-41 in the Roadrunners' final home game of the season on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Cheyenne Rowe produced 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She was named most outstanding player in the tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Buoyed by a 61-52 win over Rice in the regular-season finale at Houston, UTSA traveled to Birmingham with renewed confidence, which led to consecutive victories over Temple, third-seeded South Florida and No. 2 East Carolina.

Finally, UTSA capped the run with its second emphatic victory over Rice in seven days. This one, for all the marbles, so to speak.

“Obviously, I couldn’t be any happier for our school, to have the opportunity to go play in the NCAA tournament,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said.

“And, most importantly,” the coach continued, “our players, our staff, you know, I told them before the game that, I just appreciated how they’ve approached this tournament.

“Really, just how they’ve stayed in the trenches no matter what’s happened all year long. They’ve been resilient, staff included.

“Like everybody, really stayed on one page, and that’s difficult when you have a group of 25 or 30 people to keep ’em all headed in the right direction.

“This group has done that, and I think they deserved what they got today. I think that they played with purpose all week long, and, in particular today, I thought we played fantastic.

“Kudos to Rice for the run to the tournament,” Aston continued. “Terrific team. But I did think that our team played really, really well today, and I’m super proud of ’em.”

One year after claiming the conference’s regular-season title, Aston’s legend continues to grow.

In her 18 seasons as a head coach, she has now led three programs to a combined eight NCAA tournaments.

The first one came in 2009 at Charlotte, followed by six more at the University of Texas in consecutive years from 2014 to 2019, and now one in her fifth season at UTSA.

This one might have been her best work in the whole bunch, everything considered.

Idara Udo. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA forward Idara Udo notched 11 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots against the Owls. Udo and Ereauna Hardaway were named to the all tournament team. – File photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA had five scholarship players sit out the entire season with injuries.

Included in the group that did not play was Maya Linton, one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the conference last season, plus promising sophomore Taylor Ross and freshman Sema Udo.

Sema Udo is Idara Udo’s younger sister.

To make matters worse for UTSA, Idara Udo sat out eight games, including one at Columbia on Dec. 20 and the next seven to start play in the American’s schedule.

Through it all, Aston never lost faith in the group even during a 2-5 slump from Jan. 31 to Feb. 24.

Not even after it fell behind by 38 points on Feb. 24 at North Texas before losing by 24.

Aston was visibly shaken on March 4 when UTSA lost 53-41 to Tulsa at home, a game in which UTSA scored only one point in the second quarter.

But after a team meeting, the Roadrunners started to click. They journeyed on to the road and beat the Owls on March 7 in Houston to close the regular season.

Flanked in a postgame press conference Saturday by Rowe, Udo and Hardaway, the coach said it started with those players.

“They’re strong leaders,” she said. “They’re very, very competitive.

“They play with purpose. They practice with purpose … I think a piece of it was Idara getting healthy, healthy enough to help us down the stretch.

“It took time, because of the injuries and because of Ereauna getting to know our team and our system. Sometime, when you have system in place that people do believe in, then you can turn the tide at any point.”

She said the turning point came over the last week when young players such as Hammonds and Damara Allen started to “grow up a little bit” and make major contributions.

Karen Aston. UTSA women's basketball lost to Tulsa 53-41 in the Roadrunners' final home game of the season on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Karen Aston has now guided three different college basketball programs to eight NCAA tournaments in her 18 years as a head coach — including one at Charlotte, six at Texas and now one at UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander

“I thought that was the biggest difference for us,” she said.

Against Rice, Rowe had 13 points and eight rebounds. Hardaway, a standout Friday night against East Carolina, also scored 13, to go along with four assists and five rebounds.

Idara Udo, whose defense in the paint led a group that held the Owls to their lowest point total of the season, also produced on offense with 11 points. She had six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

On the defensive end, the Roadrunners were superb. They locked down the Owls to a season-low in points on only 27.1 percent shooting from the field.

Victoria Flores, the player of the year in the American, and fellow first-team all-conference selection Dominique Ennis were held to a combined 14 points on five of 19 shooting.

Another perimeter threat, Aniah Alexis, scored two points on one of 11 shooting.

Inside scoring threat Shelby Hayes, thwarted by Udo, Rowe and others, was held to five points.

San Antonio’s Hailey Adams, a Rice redshirt junior from Clark High School, led the Owls in scoring with 12 points on six of 11 shooting. The rest of the team shot 10 for 48.

Notable

Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds said she thinks her team deserves an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

“I do believe we’re a team that deserves to be in the NCAA,” she said. “I hope the committee will look at that, and we’ll be a two-bid league this year.”

Both Edmonds and Aston are in their fifth seasons at their respective schools. The Rice job is Edmonds’ first as a head coach. She is 101-59 with a trip to the WNIT in 2023 and to the NCAA in 2024.

Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds. UTSA women's basketball beat Rice 67-58 in American Athletic Conference action at the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds said she thinks her team, at 28-5, deserves a bid to the NCAA tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander

In five years at UTSA, Aston took over a program that had won two games the previous season and has compiled a record of 82-77, with trips to the WNIT in 2023-24, the WBIT in 2025 and now the NCAA this season.

Last season, Aston’s Roadrunners entered the American tournament as the No 1 seed and were beaten in the quarterfinals by Edmonds’ Owls. This season, Rice beat UTSA 65-55 in San Antonio on Jan. 31. UTSA returned the favor, winning 61-52 in Houston, on March 7.

Aston’s Roadrunners are now 7-4 against Edmonds’ Owls over the past five seasons.

First half

UTSA entered the finals of the tournament coming off three wins in three days.

Rice, with a triple bye into the semifinals, knocked off No. 5 North Texas to earn its third straight trip to the American finals.

From the outset, however, it was UTSA that seemed to have all the energy.

The Roadrunners played stifling defense and did just enough on offense to take a 20-13 lead.

Trailing by two going into the second quarter, UTSA started to move the ball around, getting multiple players involved.

Adriana Robles, Damara Allen and Mia Hammonds all hit field goals midway through the period for UTSA.

Robles drove to her right and flipped the ball high off the glass for a layup. Allen spun and tossed in a 10 footer with her left hand.

Hammonds used her quickness and length to drive right and sink a six-foot runner.

Rowe, who led the Roadrunners with eight points at the half, sank the last bucket on a fancy dribble move in the paint, followed by a left-handed finish from 10 feet.

Rice, meanwhile, went scoreless in the last 4:43 of the half.

For the half, the Owls hit only five of 31 from the field for 16.1 percent. Rice stars Victoria Flores and Dominique Ennis were held largely in check.

Mia Hammonds. East Carolina beat UTSA 65-58 in American Conference women's basketball on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore forward Mia Hammonds had nine points, six rebounds and a steal against the Owls. During the team’s five-game winning streak, she has scored 38 points on 22 of 35 shooting from the field. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Flores had three points at the half, while Ennis was scoreless. Combined, the two first-team, all-conference performers were one for 12 from the floor.

Records

UTSA 18-15
Rice 28-5

Coming up

UTSA will learn on Sunday night its destination and opponent in the NCAA Tournament.

The tournament opens with NCAA First Four games on Wednesday and Thursday, with the Round of 64 openers set for Friday and Saturday.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA defeats (2) East Carolina, 54-44

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (6) UTSA defeats (1) Rice, 54-40.

Records

y-(1) Rice 28-5, 17-1
y-(2) East Carolina 22-10, 14-4
y-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
y-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
y-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
x-(6) UTSA 18-15, 9-9
y-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
y-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
y-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
y-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-tournament champion
y-eliminated

American women’s basketball: Resurgent UTSA to face Rice for a postseason title

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA players gathered on the floor at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., late on Friday night, chanting, “We ain’t done. We ain’t done.”

Ereauna Hardaway, Cheyenne Rowe. UTSA beat Memphis 67-55 in American Conference women's basketball on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s 5-1 record this month got started when guard Ereauna Hardaway, wearing the gold chain, led the Roadrunners past the Memphis Tigers, 67-55, on March 1 at the Convocation Center. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Ereauna Hardaway’s long, two-handed, 3-point basket sparked a late run and lifted the sixth-seeded Roadrunners to a 54-44 victory over the No. 2 East Carolina Pirates in the semifinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament.

Winners of four straight overall and three in three days in Birmingham, the resurgent Roadrunners (17-15) have advanced and will meet the top-seeded Rice Owls (28-4) for the title on Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Rice, playing in the earlier semifinal game on Friday, secured its ticket to the championship round with a 71-67 victory over fifth-seeded North Texas.

The winner between the Roadrunners and the Owls will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

UTSA beat ECU (22-10) and held the Pirates to their lowest scoring output of the season.

The Roadrunners capped a gritty defensive struggle with a 17-5 run in the final six minutes. Hardaway scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the closing stretch.

“I just wanted to join the game with (my teammates),” Hardaway joked with an ESPN+ television reporter afterward. “They was playing so good, I had to join in. Why not?”

Asked what it will take to beat the Owls for the championship, Hardaway said, “The mindset. We ain’t done yet. That’s the mindset.”

UTSA coach Karen Aston credited her players’ resolve for just deciding that they wanted to play well in March and to make a run in the tournament.

She said it started after a dispiriting loss at home to Tulsa and before the last game of the regular season at Rice, where they beat the regular-season champions, 61-52.

“(Players) sort of flipped a switch,” Aston said, “and made some decisions to be a little bit tougher and do some of the hard stuff a little bit better.

“I say this all the time, but teams and players are not on your watch sometimes. They’re on their own.

“And when they grow up and mature, is a process, and you never know when that’s going to happen, especially for young players. So I think for some of them, the light has just kind of come on.”

Hardaway’s performance down the stretch was memorable.

With UTSA trailing 39-37 and 6:28 remaining, the senior transfer from North Texas scored seven of her team’s points in a 9-0 run.

Kick-starting the streak, Hardaway hit a layup, and after two Idara Udo free throws, the Roadrunners capitalized when Pirates freshman Olivia Hilliard turned it over.

On the ensuing possession, Hardaway misfired on a 15-footer and then a layup attempt.

After Mia Hammonds snared the offensive rebound, UTSA worked the ball back to Hardaway, way beyond the three-point arc, with the shot clock winding down.

Her teammates were yelling at her to shoot it. Once she got the message, she put up a straight-away, two-hander that swished.

After that, Hardaway turned toward the other basket, smiling, while flashing 3-point signals with both hands.

“It was great to see it go in,” she said.

When it ripped the nets, the Roadrunners had expanded the lead to 44-39 with 4:16 remaining. The Pirates would come no closer than three the rest of the way.

Records

UTSA 17-15
East Carolina 22-10

Coming up

UTSA will play Rice for the tournament championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

First half

The sixth-seeded Roadrunners entered the semifinals of the American Conference tournament coming off wins over No. 7 Temple and three seed South Florida.

For the No. 2 Pirates, drawing a triple bye into the semis, it was their first game of the week in Birmingham, and only their second in two weeks overall

In a first half that evolved into a tense, defensive struggle, the Roadrunners and Pirates battled to a 24-24 tie at intermission.

The second quarter belonged to the Pirates. After falling behind by six points, they kept forcing turnovers and capitalized on the Roadrunners’ mistakes with a 10-0 run.

Jayla Hearp capped the streak with a three-pointer. When it fell with 1:18 remaining, the Pirates held a 24-20 lead.

In the final minute, the Roadrunners scored the last four points as Idara Udo sank two free throws and Hammonds made an aggressive move into the paint for a 12 foot jumper.

UTSA played well defensively for most of the half, holding the Pirates to five of 25 shooting at one point. The Pirates went into the dressing room nine of 32 for 28 percent.

Offensively, the Roadrunners failed to figure out a way to attack the Pirates’ pressure, turning the ball over 12 times. The miscues led to 11 East Carolina points.

UTSA shot nine of 19 from the field for 47 percent in the half.

Roadrunners forward Cheyenne Rowe came out of the game at the end when she was hit in the nose by the forehead of Keanna Rembert, who was called for a charge.

Third quarter

East Carolina freshman Olivia Hilliard buried a 15-foot jumper with four seconds left, boosting the Pirates into a 34-33 lead going into the fourth.

Fourth quarter

During UTSA’s late push, East Carolina found hope when Kennedy Fauntleroy dribbled into the lane and hit a 10-foot floater, trimming the Roadrunners’ lead to 47-44 with 1:15 remaining.

On the inbounds, UTSA experienced trouble against the defensive pressure. A pass from the backcourt into the frontcourt went awry, but Hammonds tracked it down.

After Hardaway air-balled a 3-point attempt, Rowe snagged the ball and sank a short follow shot.

Surging and leading by five, the Roadrunners forced a three by Pirates forward Anzhane’ Hutton that missed.

Damara Allen rebounded, drew a foul, and hit two free throws for a 51-44 lead with 33 seconds left.

The Pirates went scoreless the rest of the way, while the Roadrunners closed it out with three free throws, two by Hardaway and another by Rowe.

Notable

UTSA and Rice split the season series. On Jan. 31 in San Antonio, Victoria Flores scored 33 points to lead the Owls, 65-55.

On March 7, the last day of the regular season, UTSA answered with a 61-52 victory in Houston to snap the Owls’ 22-game winning streak.

If the Roadrunners can beat them again Saturday night, they would advance to the NCAA tournament in women’s basketball for the first time since 2009.

The UTSA women won the Southland postseason titles in both 2008 and 2009 — still the program’s only NCAA bids in 45 seasons.

A win tonight not only would break the NCAA drought, but it would put this team in the record book as the only one in program history to claim a conference tournament title with four victories in four days.

Even if the Roadrunners lose, their season might not be complete as they will be under consideration for a bid to the WNIT, a school spokesman said.

Among UTSA individual standouts against East Carolina, Ereauna Hardaway had 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Forwards Cheyenne Rowe scored 11 and Idara Udo 10. Though both combined for 15 rebounds, the major contributor on the boards was guard Damara Allen, who snared 10.

Small forward Mia Hammonds played well again with nine points, five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Also, with UTSA holding a three-point lead late, she retrieved an errant pass from a teammate to save a possession.

For East Carolina, guard Kennedy Fauntleroy scored 12 points to lead three players in double figures. Guard Jayla Hearp contributed 11 and forward Keanna Rembert 10.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA beats (2) East Carolina, 54-44

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (1) Rice vs. (6) UTSA, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 28-4, 17-1
x-(2) East Carolina 22-10, 14-4
x-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
x-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
x-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
(6) UTSA 17-15, 9-9
x-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
x-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
x-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
x-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-eliminated

Baseball: UTSA hopes to bounce back after first home loss

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Lane Haworth dives for a line drive in right field. The ball bounced before he could reach it and it wasn't a catch. UTSA vs. UT-Arlington baseball on Friday, March 13, 2026, at Roadrunner Field. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Lane Haworth dove for a line drive in right field Friday afternoon, but the ball bounced before he could reach it. UT Arlington went on to win 15-11 for the first victory by a visiting team at Roadrunner Field this season.
– Photo by Joe Alexander

The 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners will play at home Saturday and Sunday afternoon, looking to rebound from a disappointing performance Friday night.

In the first game of a non-conference series at Roadrunner Field, the UT Arlington Mavericks registered a 15-11 victory. The Mavs punched out 10 hits and drew 14 walks in the opener.

Xavier Melendez led the Mavericks, going 3-for-3 with five RBI and three walks, including a double as part of a career night at the plate.

Drew Detlefsen had three hits for the Roadrunners.

Records

UT Arlington 6-11
UTSA 14-4

Coming up

UT Arlington at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

American women’s basketball: Top-seeded Rice wins and advances to the finals

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

San Antonio’s Hailey Adams produced 17 points and 14 rebounds in the top-seeded Rice Owls’ 71-67 victory over the No. 5 North Texas Mean Green Friday night in the semifinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament.

Victoria Flores scored 21 and Dominique Ennis had 19 as Rice (28-4) advanced to the finals for the third year in a row. Rice won the tournament championship in 2024 and finished as runner up to South Florida last season.

The Owls took control of the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Mean Green 27-11 for a 59-48 lead.

The Mean Green rallied and cut the deficit to two with 11 seconds remaining. But Flores went to the free throw line and made both with 6.1 seconds left for the game’s final points.

San Antonio’s Aysia Proctor had 12 points and six rebounds for the Mean Green.

She had to leave the game in the third quarter after taking a spill and hitting her head on the floor, but she returned to play and knock down a three in the last half of the fourth period.

All-conference forward Megan Nestor paced North Texas with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Chania Price scored 10.

First half

The top-seeded Owls entered the tournament on a triple bye, starting Friday night in the semifinals at Birmingham, Ala.

The No. 5 Mean Green came into the semis on a roll after routing the nine seed FAU Owls 80-57 on Wednesday and then knocking off No. 4 Tulsa Golden Hurricane 76-73 on Thursday.

Despite falling behind by eight at the end of the first quarter, the Mean Green started playing harder in the second and raced to a 37-32 lead at the half.

Nestor and Proctor led with nine points. Nestor, the nation’s top rebounder, battled against Rice’s big frontcourt and pulled down six boards.

North Texas excelled defensively in the second quarter, holding Rice to two of 12 shooting from the field.

The Mean Green outscored the Owls 22-9 in the quarter, with Nestor producing seven.

Records

North Texas 19-14
Rice 28-4

Coming up

Rice vs. UTSA or East Carolina in the championship game, 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Notable

Proctor had to come out of the game with 34 seconds left in the third quarter after hitting her head on the floor in a battle for possession near the baseline.

After leaving the bench area to receive attention from the training staff, she re-entered the with less than five minutes left in the game.

Proctor played in high school at Schertz Clemens and in her first two years of college at UTSA. She received second-team, all-conference honors this season for the Mean Green.

Rice last played on March 7 in Houston when the Owls lost the regular-season finale 61-52 to the UTSA Roadrunners.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (1) Rice defeats (5) North Texas 71-67
Game 8 — (6) UTSA vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — (1) Rice vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 28-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
x-(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
x-(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
x-(5) North Texas 19-14, 11-7
(6) UTSA 16-15, 9-9
x-(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
x-(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
x-(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
x-(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

x-eliminated

American women’s basketball: UTSA upsets South Florida in the quarterfinals

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Cheyenne Rowe celebrated her 22nd birthday in style Thursday, helping the sixth-seeded UTSA Roadrunners upset the No. 3 South Florida Bulls 62-51 in the American Conference tournament quarterfinals.

In the game played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., Rowe led the Roadrunners with 25 points and 11 rebounds as they pushed past the Bulls and into the semifinals against the second-seeded East Carolina Pirates.

“Just a tremendous performance for our team,” UTSA coach Karen Aston said. “It’s hard, not to let ’em get too high, and all that kind of stuff. But it was such a great performance and a total commitment to four quarters of basketball.

“We were pretty relentless defensively, and I thought our team shared the ball well. Made the right decisions and they hung in there defensively all night long. You know, I couldn’t be prouder.”

Rowe put on a performance reminiscent of former UTSA standout Jordyn Jenkins. Meaning, she did just about everything and was extremely efficient.

The 6-foot-2 forward didn’t take a three-point attempt, instead working around the basket and in the mid-range with a variety of drives, turnarounds and face-up shots.

Rowe hit 11 of 17 shots from the field.

Her performance punctuates the Roadrunners’ rise from inconsistency to a 4-1 record in their last five, including victories over 27-win Rice on the final day of the regular season and then tournament wins over Temple and 20-win South Florida.

After helping defeat Bulls, who had beaten the Roadrunners twice during the regular season, Rowe talked about what it meant to see her team fight through so much adversity and then make such a robust turnaround in March.

“We have faced adversities and it’s just amazing to see how we’ve pushed through them,” she said. “It’s great to see everyone, like, playing together. Playing with each other. Playing to have fun.

“Basketball is supposed to be fun. We play with each other to have fun. And we want to win. Everyone does. So, I’ve got to say, I’m very proud of everyone.”

South Florida had beaten UTSA twice in the regular season but could not get it done for the third time in a row.

The Roadrunners (16-15) made it happen mostly with defense, holding the Bulls to 33.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Bulls (20-12) were completely stifled at the end of the game, outscored 11-2 in the final 4:44.

After Roadrunners sophomore Mia Hammonds slashed to the basket for a bucket with 3:08 remaining, the Roadrunners led 53-49 and then had a couple of lapses on their next two offensive possessions.

One was an offensive foul call and the other a turnover by Ereauna Hardaway.

“As far as that timeout,” Aston said, “(the message) was just finish. We played so well the whole game. Let’s not get rattled or get down on ourselves at this point. Let’s just finish the job.”

Coming out of the timeout, Hardaway responded with a 14-foot jumper, boosting the lead to six points. Following that, UTSA knocked down three of four free throws for a nine-point lead.

On the next South Florida possession, Hammonds blocked a shot by Bulls star Carla Brito, setting up another offensive possession for the Roadrunners.

Hardaway sank one of two free throws with 37.5 seconds remaining for a 10-point lead. South Florida never got closer than eight the rest of the way.

For the game, Hardaway produced 12 points and five rebounds. Idara Udo had 10 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Among the younger UTSA players, Hammonds had eight points on three of four shooting and four rebounds. She also had the key block at the end of the game.

Sophomore Damara Allen had nine rebounds.

Freshman point guard Adriana Robles started for the fifth straight game and had two points, five rebounds and two assists. UTSA is 4-1 in those five games.

Records

UTSA 16-15
South Florida 20-12

Notable

UTSA women’s basketball has advanced into a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since the 2024 (in the American) and for the 12th time overall.

If they win, they’ll make their sixth conference championship appearance.

The Roadrunners have won two games in a tournament for the first time since 2023.

Against East Carolina, UTSA will try to win a third game in the same tournament for the first time since 2009.

In both the 2008 and 2009 Southland Conference postseasons, the Roadrunners went 3-0 each time to reach the NCAA tournament.

This week, the Roadrunners will need to win four games in four days for the NCAA automatic bid.

First half

Rowe had 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half as the UTSA Roadrunners took a 30-22 lead at halftime against the South Florida Bulls.

UTSA’s strong performance came in the quarterfinals of the American Conference women’s basketball tournament at Birmingham, Ala.

While South Florida, with a double bye, was making its debut in the tournament, UTSA was playing its second game in two days after eliminating Temple, 59-51, on Tuesday.

From the outset, UTSA seemed to have a better rhythm than South Florida. Riding Rowe’s hot shooting hand, the Roadrunners moved out to a 14-9 lead after the first quarter.

It was a team effort in that the Roadrunners cut down on turnovers, ran efficient offense and kept the Bulls out of their bread and butter, the transition game.

In the second period, UTSA’s offense went cold. But at the same time, its defense stayed solid. Then, late in the period, UTSA’s Hammonds and Udo asserted themselves offensively.

Hammonds hit two straight buckets on aggressive moves toward the basket. She also knocked down a couple of free throws.

After Rowe hit a couple of shots, Udo connected on a 14-foot turnaround jumper for a 30-22 lead.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA defeats (3) South Florida, 62-51

Friday

Game 7 — (5) North Texas vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — (6) UTSA vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-12, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
(5) North Texas 19-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 16-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

American women’s basketball: North Texas knocks off fourth-seeded Tulsa

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Andi Schissler scored 18 points Thursday afternoon, pacing the fifth-seeded North Texas Mean Green to their second win in the American Conference women’s basketball tournament, a 76-73 victory over the No. 4 Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

A day after North Texas routed the ninth-seeded FAU Owls, 80-57, in the second round, they rolled to an early double-digit lead and held off a late rally by the Golden Hurricane.

The Golden Hurricane entered on a double bye, making the quarterfinals their first game at the Legacy Center in Birmingham, Ala.

After coming out flat and falling behind by 11 at the half and by 19 in the third quarter, Tulsa rallied to within three with 14 seconds remaining.

A North Texas turnover on a steal by Tulsa’s Dora Toman with 11 seconds gave the Golden Hurricane a chance to tie.

But Mady Cartwright’s attempt at a three with two seconds left was off the mark.

As a result, the Golden Hurricane (19-12) had their hopes dashed for a berth in the NCAA tournament and now must wait for a bid to another postseason event.

The Mean Green (19-13) advanced to the semifinals against the top-seeded Rice Owls (27-4).

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas defeats (4) Tulsa, 76-73
Game 6 — (6) UTSA vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — (5) North Texas vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-12, 11-7
(5) North Texas 19-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 15-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

Baseball: Texas Tech rallies to down UTSA, 10-5

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Connor Shouse, Robin Villeneuve and AJ Goytia all smashed two-run home runs in a seven-run sixth inning as the Texas Tech Red Raiders rallied to down the 24th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners, 10-5, on a cold Wednesday night in Lubbock.

UTSA held a 4-1 lead when Tech came to bat in the sixth.

In response, the Red Raiders sent 10 batters to the plate and stroked six hits, with one walk, against three UTSA pitchers. When Goytia’s homer cleared the wall, Texas Tech’s lead had expanded to 8-4.

The Red Raiders added two more runs in the seventh as they went on to split a two-game, mid-week series with the Roadrunners after UTSA won 9-8 on Tuesday night.

UTSA scored one run in the second inning, one in the third and two in the fourth for the 4-1 lead. Christian Hallmark ripped a solo home run in the second and an RBI single in the third. Josh Arquette hit a two-run homer in the fourth.

Will Jordan (2-0) earned the victory on the mound for the Red Raiders. He walked one and didn’t allow a hit in a scoreless sixth inning.

James Hubbard (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up the go-ahead runs on Villeneuve’s two-run blast.

Records

UTSA 14-3
Texas Tech 11-5

Coming up

UT Arlington at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
UT Arlington at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

American women’s basketball tournament: South Florida is next as UTSA downs Temple

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By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

Flanked in the postgame press conference by senior Ereauna Hardaway and junior Idara Udo, UTSA Roadrunners coach Karen Aston on Wednesday reflected on her team’s 59-51 victory over the Temple Owls.

The second-round game in the American Conference women’s basketball tournament wasn’t a thing of beauty. Especially a seemingly endless second-quarter scoring drought for UTSA.

But as for the Roadrunners’ opening-game performance in Birmingham, Ala., on the whole, Aston will take it.

“I’m super proud of our team,” the coach said.

She said it’s always an experience to discover how players, especially the young ones, will respond to the tournament atmosphere and pressure.

“I think the two sitting beside me led the way from an experience standpoint,” Aston said. “They had a lot of calmness about them today. And I just thought they were resilient.”

With the win, UTSA improved to a modest 15-15, which doesn’t reflect on the qualities of grit and toughness it takes to battle through a season with multiple season-ending injuries.

“It’s kind of been the theme of this team,” the coach said. “They’ve been able to bounce back. We went through a stretch in the second quarter that wasn’t really very pretty, and then I thought we regrouped … and played really well in the second half.”

Hardaway had 17 points and six rebounds as the sixth-seeded Roadrunners notched their third win of the season against the No. 7 Owls, advancing to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where they’ll meet the three seed South Florida Bulls.

The matchup promises to be an emotional one, at least for the Roadrunners, who have lost twice this season to the Bulls.

South Florida won the first meeting, 70-53, on Jan 13 in Tampa, building a 25-point lead at halftime and then cruising the rest of the way.

The Bulls also claimed the rematch in San Antonio on Feb. 14, though they had to battle at the end to hold off the Roadrunners, 69-63. Udo said she’s excited about the opportunity to play them again.

“A very physical team,” Udo said of the Bulls, “a team that gets out in transition. Runs the floor well. Runs their lanes well and has players that can score.”

One of the keys against South Florida could center on whether UTSA’s young guards and wings — Adriana Robles, Mia Hammonds and Damara Allen — can play at the same high level that they did against Temple.

“I did want to mention that our young guys did a great job on defense,” Aston said. “(The Owls’) guards are hard to handle. I thought all the young ones, their attention to detail, to me they were the difference in the game.

“I just wanted to give them some props. I thought Mia was terrific. I thought Damara came in and did a great job. (Same with) Adriana.

“That’s something we tried to hone in on, was doing your job and paying attention to detail. I think that’s a little bit of a hidden reason why we won.”

Also for UTSA, senior forward Cheyenne Rowe scored 13 points, including two clutch free throws with 22 seconds left.

Udo finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds and Hammonds scored 10, hitting four of five shots from the field.

As a team, UTSA held Temple to 32 percent shooting and won the battle on the boards, 44-27.

It was the third straight win for UTSA over Temple this season. Previously, the Roadrunners won 50-47 on Jan. 3 in Philadelphia and 52-43 on Feb. 10 in San Antonio.

Tristen Taylor and Jaleesa Molina had 12 points apiece for the Owls, while Kaylah Turner, the leading scorer in the American, was held to 11.

Records

UTSA 15-15
Temple 15-17

Coming up

UTSA vs. South Florida, Thursday, 2:30 p.m.

Notable

A UTSA offense that had a good start in the first quarter shut down completely in the face of a tenacious Temple defense in the final six minutes before intermission.

The Roadrunners failed to score and missed their last nine attempts from the field in the final 6:19 as the Owls took a 26-25 lead into the break.

On the flip side of the narrative, the Roadrunners’ defense didn’t allow much of anything in the way of offense for the Owls in the second quarter, either.

While UTSA recorded 2 of 13 shooting in the period, Temple could only manage 3 of 17.

Wednesday’s Game 1

Former UTSA guard Aysia Proctor led the fifth-seeded North Texas Mean Green with a game-high 24 points in a 80-57 second-round victory Wednesday over the No. 9 FAU Owls.

Proctor, formerly of Clemens High School, played 26 minutes and hit eight of 13 shots from the field, including five of eight from beyond the 3-point arc.

With the win, North Texas advanced to the quarterfinals against fourth-seeded Tulsa.

The American’s five-day event is being played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, with the winner of Saturday’s title game earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.

Tuesday

Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, overtime
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, overtime

Wednesday

Game 3 — (5) North Texas defeats (9) FAU, 80-57
Game 4 — (6) UTSA defeats (7) Temple, 59-51

Thursday

Game 5 — (5) North Texas vs. (4) Tulsa, noon
Game 6 — (6) UTSA vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.

Friday

Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday

Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Records

(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-11, 11-7
(5) North Texas 18-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 15-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-17, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-18, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12

Notable

Former UTSA women’s basketball player Nina De Leon Negron is set to represent her native Puerto Rico at the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifier tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.